The Not So Obvious Stuff

[OnewiththewilD]

sometimes when where first starting out we tend to overlook the less noticeable artifacts. things like a point missing a tip or base or a really weathered hardstone tool can throw off the eye if your not used to seeing similar full pieces on which to base it,especially if the object is made from a common local material. and learning your local materials (that the natives utilized in one way or another) is one of the first steps to successfully  finding artifacts.one of the next steps is learning the basic shapes and styles of the artifacts local to you. its usually best to start by looking for points.so lets say you've found a broken one,sometimes when i find something thats been damaged and is missing pieces (like a shoulder or a tip) i put it on a piece of paper and trace the outline of the point. by following the sides and connecting the lines i can sometimes figure out how much longer the tip would have been or how far out a shoulder was. ive even been able to figure out what style point it was with the help of a sketch.this dosent usually work on figureing out a base though. oh, and it helps to have a good imagination too. another thing to look for is weather worn artifacts.sometimes,based on how its been exposed over the years,artifacts can be all but erased by the elements,especially if there in the water. fresh water and gravel seems to be a bit more forgiving but salt water and sand can polish points clean over time. and water and the sun have a tendency to patina stone.all these things together can sometimes camoflage artifacts ,so by learning to look for the right material, the right kinda "work" on an object (flaking,pecking,e.t.c) and the right kinda shapes, and a bit of an imagination, things that you might have once glanced over will start to stand out to you. another thing is to flip over EVERYTHING that catches yer eye.anything that seems "out of place" or just sparks your interest.ive flipped over stuff just out of habit and been surprised that it was actually a something. sometimes a little glimmer of stone poking up out of the dirt or sand is hiding a G10 just below the surface! and pick up all the flakes you come across.you dont have to take em" all home (like i still do sometimes!) but at least check em" out . unless you take the moment to look you might not notice if that flake is actually a beautiful scraper or flake blade. not every artifact is a perfectly chipped arrowhead or spearpoint,sometimes its just a simple tool with minimal work, but its an artifact non the less. so anyways, what i hope anyone gets from this is to keep an eye open for the little things,the less obvious stuff that most other people would overlook,you never know what your gonna find! good luck and happy hunting!

[mtnsolitude]

Being a newbie I really appreciated the information you provided.
Flipping everything you find over and tracing the outline of a piece I thought particularly helpful.

[chase]

Thank you Jay! I find it helpful to pick up every flake, I first can examine it, but if I hold them until I have a handful and make a pile of them. it helps to clear the ground to where I see the new flakes/artifacts. When I first started I over looked Mano's and Matetes. It was for the first five years I did not see them. Matetes are usually flipped over, bowl side down and look like plain rocks. But I recommend for new hunters to stick with identifying chert and getting familiar with flaking.  Trying to look at everything at first can be too much and you will miss more than you find. Here is some examples